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Thursday, September 27, 2012

To wrap up Compassion International's month long campaign we've been challenged to write from our sponsored child's perspective.

Here's my letter from Pascaline, a young girl from Rwanda living within the ghostly shadow of horrific events that rocked her country just a few years ago...

Dear Brian and Michelle,

Think of me....

My parents worry about the rebels rebuilding in nearby Congo. What will our future hold here? Will we have to relive the tragedy that still haunt our parent's dreams? How can my generation change the story?

I'm just a little girl and sometimes life seems so harsh. We've no electricity. No running water. When you sponsored me, I borrowed the dress you saw me in so I could have a nice picture.

My shoes, yes, you noticed they were torn but they were the only ones I had to wear in this mountainous region. At the time, I couldn't manage a smile and you were drawn to that. You wanted to give me a reason...

Think of me...

Since your sponsorship, life has gotten better. We have a new roof on our house! Jesus delivered a cow that provides milk and an additional source of income. And we received a potato crop that also helps us so much.

Think of me...

I get to go to school now. We learn of Jesus and his love for us which I share with my family. I have a great time with my friends and also get health check ups and vaccines.

Think of me...

When they deliver letters to the children in my development center my heart beats faster. Will I get a letter from you today? I love sending you drawings I've made. But it really makes me feel special to get your words...to know you think of me. To see the artwork from Teagan and Isla, the stickers and Bible coloring pages.

I don't feel invisible anymore. I believe God made me special. That He is with me in this place. He's providing a future through you, through Compassion International.Never stop thinking of me, of my friends. We are a world away but weneedyou. Please promise me you'll try.

In Jesus' Name,

Pascaline

BE THE HERO

Let God use you and your family to change the lives of these precious children forever. Our goal is to gain sponsorship for 3,100 children. For $38, the price of a dinner out once a month, you can provide food, clothing, healthcare, Christian education and so much more...a future.

VisitCompassion International’s Sponsor a Child page. Pray over which child speaks to your heart. Perhaps they
share a birthday with your child? Maybe they live in a country where AIDS is
rampant? Or perhaps they are in an area you’ve always wanted to learn more
about? Ask God to help you make a commitment as a family to change this child’s
life.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

What's the secret to beating the odds within your own marriage? The answer will surprise you. Read on to see why you can't afford not to use this tool as you and your cutie "do" life together!

Brian and I are taking a marriage class that our Executive Pastor wrote called Marriage the Way It Was Meant to Be. It is wonderful.

Transforming.

And I can't stop talking about a point Scott made on the first night of class. One that I believe holds the power to bullet proof your marriage...

First, he revealed that statistically, less than 10% of Christian couples pray together regularly. Wow. That just blows my mind when I think of it. Still, I confess that until recently Brian and I didn't pray together either.

I am comfortable with plenty of prayers throughout my day on my own or even with my baby girls. But there is something so intimate about prayer, isn't there? In prayer we share our deepest insecurities, our fears, our failings and desires.

Here's the good news:Couples that pray together, stay together. Remember that old saying? Turns out it there was something to it. Consider the following stats:The divorce rate for couples who pray together:- 1 in 1,152 couples* - 1 in 10,000 couples**

Wow! The first number is much more conservative than the last. But you know what? I'll take those odds any day over a one in two chance that we won't make it. Wouldn't you?

So Brian and I've been praying. Short prayers. But they bless us. Bits of our hearts touch each other.

I know what he is thinking. I am humbled by what he says. Honored that he would take the time to be a leader, to step up to this challenge with me. We alternate nights. Hold each other. Connect.

This has actually become a part of my day that I look forward to! What a blessing, indeed.

Dear God, thank you for giving us the power to come directly to you with our hopes, dreams and needs. We praise you for being at the center of our marriage and strengthening it against so many influences and dangers in our culture. Help us to continue to know each other during this special time in our day, building a bond with you that is impenetrable. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Reflect and Respond:

Would you be willing to take five minutes a day to bullet proof your marriage? Can you and your husband commit to praying together every day for a week?

Insert God's presence into your marriage and watch Him make it a force that can't be broken.

Power Verse:

Psalm 46:1, "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." (NIV)

What is one way you and your husband work together to bullet proof your marriage? What do you find challenging about praying together?Blessings, Michelle* poll conducted by the National Association of Marriage Enhancement**taken from David McLaughlin's series The Role of the Man in the Family, shared via Dr. Philip C. McGraw in Relationship Rescue

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

I am so bummed that I got a virus on my computer last week because two things I LOVE came together to change our world...

Compassion International wrapped up a week long Pinterest party on Sunday. The non-profit's bloggers shared pictures of our sweet sponsored children in an effort to continue to spread the word during this month long campaign to rescue 3,100 children in the poorest countries of the world from a life of poverty.

I may be late to the party, but I did create a board for my sponsored children and wanted to share some pictures of my girls with their sisters in Christ. They are such a part of our family's day that Teagan recently asked for a map to Pascaline's house.

Over the years Pascaline's family has had a new roof put on their house, received a cow as a source of food and income and a potato crop as part of our sponsorship. We love knowing that not only she benefits but her family as well.

Being sponsors has allowed us to give our children an appreciation for the blessings we have while prompting them to conserve water, electricity and food out of respect for Pascaline and Elibie.

We have also enjoyed getting to know more about where the girls live. In addition, we also include Dahrling, Bethlehem and Jimmi in our daily prayers. They are Compassion children sponsored by others who have touched our lives.

Monday, September 24, 2012

We are bringing Compassion International's sponsorship campaignto a close. All month long, bloggers like me are praying for new sponsors to step up for 3,100 children in the poorest countries in the world. For $38 a month, the price of a dinner out, you can transform a child's life and faith.

Waiting: 236 Days for a sponsor.

Today I want to share 4 year old Davana with you. Isn't she precious? Davana lives in El Salvador and has been waiting eight long months for a sponsor since she was accepted into her local Compassion program.

In her home, Dayana lives with her father and her mother. Her father is employed as a laborer and her mother maintains the home. There are3 children in the family.

Singing, art and playing with dolls are her favorite activities. She also attends church activities and Bible class regularly.

Dayana lives in the hills of Zaragoza, home to approximately 26,700 residents. Typical houses are constructed of cement and have corrugated iron roofs.

The regional diet consists of maize, beans, bread and rice. Common health problems in this area include diarrhea, dengue fever and respiratory diseases. Most adults in Zaragoza work as day laborers and earn less than two hundred dollars per month. This community has electricity but needs potable water, schools and affordable education.

Your sponsorship allows the staff to provide Dayana with Bible teaching, medical exams, home visits, health instruction, recreational activities, tutoring, snacks, literacy training, social events and skills training. The center staff will also provide parents' school, retreats and meetings for the parents or guardians of Dayana.

Visit Compassion International’s Sponsor a Child page. Pray over which child speaks to your heart. Will you sponsor a child with a heart next to their name which indicates that they have been waiting a long time for sponsorship? Perhaps they share a birthday with your child? Maybe they live in a country where AIDS is rampant? Ask God to help you make a commitment as a family to change this child’s life.

For the second time in recent years I let a computer virus into my home in a different way - by allowing it to do more damage to my relationship with my husband than my documents...

After a few days of being offline I am grateful to be back! What a stressful few days. Despite little technical knowledge I just panic when I find out there is a virus on my computer. I rush through un-installing programs and jump at the opportunity to part with $200 in lieu of a technical person half the world away who promises to fix everything. Rush, rush, panic, panic...where is that peace and serenity I had just moments before???Am I the only one?I have to say, I sure didn't trust the solution to my problem in that moment. The solution? How about the one who lives right under the roof of my house?Did I mention my husband is a highly technical engineer?? Or that he formerly designed for a high end data storage company? Yep. After what my pastor calls "heated fellowship" my husband finally got through to my little disbelieving heart. He could fix this issue. And he did. No hassle. On the cheap. Good as new. And I learned. What God whispered to my heart in that humbling moment was ....well, first to give Brian a break and trust him....My husband wants only the best for me. And he is super smart. I forget that sometimes. This incident truly made me appreciate all the technical and non-technical wisdom he brings to our marriage. And then? God asked me to trust Him.This reminded me of the number of times I rush head-first to solving a problem without looking to my greatest resource of all, my heavenly Father. Who has He placed in your life to help out when you need an extra hand? How can we look to Him first when we are at our wits end or mid-crisis?Dear God, thank you for being a loving, helpful heavenly Father who wants only the best for me. Show me how to turn to you first in moments of doubt and need. In Jesus' Name, Amen. When have you tried to solve your own problems without looking to God for help? What happened and what did you learn?Have a blessed Monday! Destination: Inspiration Tuesdays will be up later tonight. Michelle

Monday, September 17, 2012

Today I am thinking about the mothers in our world who love their babies.

Their hearts hold prayer, hopes and dreams for them.

They aren't so different from you. Or me.

But for so many moms their lives are filled with worry. Perhaps their children are one of 6 million who will die from malnutrition this year?Or maybe they can’t dream of a future where their child will escape devastating poverty because they are one of 130 million of the world’s 15-24 year olds who can’t read or write?

What if moms like us used our influence with our household budgets to give other mothers this peace? For the price of just one meal out a month ($38) we can change the futurefor a child in one of the poorest countries in the world. And at the same time we could teach our own children about a world with compassion.

She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. Proverbs 31:20 (NIV)

Halfway into Blog Month and 1,515 children in poverty have been sponsored.

Just 1,593 more to go to reach our special goal!

Visit Compassion International’s Sponsor a Child page. Pray over which child speaks to your heart. Perhaps they share a birthday with your child? Maybe they live in a country where AIDS is rampant? Or perhaps they are in an area you’ve always wanted to learn more about? Ask God to help you make a commitment as a family to change this child’s life.